(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water filter assembly and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same, and more particularly, to a water filter assembly in which changing a filter cartridge and preventing water from being leaked when a filter cartridge is changed are easy and simple, and a refrigerator and a water purifier having the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, as water pollution becomes more severe due to industrial development and people are increasingly interested in their health, water purified by a water purifier is increasingly being used and a lot of marketed spring water is used.
A water purifier removes foreign objects and the like included in raw water by sedimentation, filtering, sterilizing, or the like, and homes, offices, business establishments, and the like generally use water purifiers.
Various types of water purifiers are manufactured and used according to water purification schemes. A general water purifier includes a plurality of filters for removing foreign objects included in raw water supplied through a water supply pipe to thus purify water.
The filters generally include a sediment filter, a pre-processing carbon filter, a membrane filter, a post-processing carbon filter, and the like, and these filters, having a structure in which they are connected in series through a connection pipe conduit, are fixedly installed in the interior of a main body of a water purifier, and raw water, while sequentially passing through the filters, undergoes sedimentation, filtration, and sterilization through which foreign objects or the like contained in raw water are filtered out.
Each of the filters are installed in the interior of a housing and includes an inlet and an outlet formed at upper and lower portions to and from which raw water is introduced and discharged. The inlets and outlets of the filters are connected by a connection pipe conduit so as to be used.
When a water purifier device is used for a certain period of time, water purification capabilities of the filters are degraded, so the filters are required to be periodically replaced with new filters according to a lifespan of the filters.
In order to change a filter in the water purifier device, the inflow of raw water supplied to the water purifier device is cut off, the connection pipe conduit connected to the inlet and outlet of the filter is separated, and the filter fixed to the water purifier device is then separated. After a new filter is mounted, the connection pipe conduit is connected to an inlet and an outlet of the new filter, thus changing the filter.
The lifespan of each of the filters is different. Thus, in most cases, only a corresponding filter is changed, rather than collectively changing all the filters at one time.
However, as for the related art water filters, when a filter is changed, the connection pipe conduit connected to the inlet and the outlet in a press-fit manner is drawn out, and after the filter is changed, the connection pipe conduit is inserted to be press-fit to the new filter, having a disadvantage in that the filter replacing operation is cumbersome and a great amount of time is required.
Meanwhile, in a recently manufactured refrigerator, in order to supply water which is drinkable or to make ice, water is received from a water supply source, filtered, and supplied to a user through a dispenser.
Like the filters installed in the water purifier device, the filter installed in the refrigerator is degraded in its purification capabilities when it is used for a certain period of time. Thus, the filter installed in the refrigerator is periodically required to be changed for a new filter according to its lifespan.
Also, like the filters installed in the water purifier device, when the filter installed in the refrigerator is separated from an assembly so as to be changed, the water supply source must be cut off, having disadvantages in that the changing of the filter is cumbersome and it is not easy to change the filter.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.